The NFL has not released any background information for its replacement officials, other than to confirm that they have called football games at some level. But given Monday’s controversial finish in Seattle, more and more people are growing curious as to where the NFL found its temporary fill-in officials.

The following info on the Monday night crew has been cobbled together from various sources …

• Wayne Elliott, head referee: Elliott is the executive secretary for the Austin Football Officials Association, which oversees high school football officiating in the Austin, Texas area. In addition, a realtor, who describes his background as: “I also officiate collegiate, high school, and indoor professional football.”

Elliott’s crew worked the Redskins-Rams game in Week 3, which involved several post-whistle scuffles.

• Derrick Rhone-Dunn, back judge: Rhone-Dunn was the official Monday who raced in after the M.D. Jennings-Golden Tate Hail Mary play and signaled for the clock to stop — usually the first move made before ruling a play like the one in question an interception and a touchback.

Rhone-Dunn has experience in the Arena Football League, as well as in the Big 12. He’s listed as one of the officials for the Jan. 3, 2007 Sugar Bowl between LSU and Notre Dame.

• Lance Easley, side judge: It was Easley who gave the touchdown signal on Monday’s final play, and his call stood through the immediate chaos after, as well as following a replay review. According to the Santa Maria Times, Easley normally officiates “high school and (junior college) games” (both football and basketball) in California’s Central Coast area.

• Tom Keeling, line judge: Keeling has extensive officiating experience within the Big 12 conference, and he officiated the Dec. 19, 2006 Poinsettia Bowl between TCU and Northern Illinois. (It’s likely that Keeling officiated other bowl games along the way — he’s found listed as a game official for Big 12 games dating back at least a decade.) A Tom Keeling also served as head linesman for the 2010 UFL championship game. Again, without the NFL providing background info, we can only assume that’s the same Tom Keeling that called Monday’s game.

• Marc Harrod, umpire: Harrod is a police officer in Corpus Christi, Texas, and appears to run the Twitter feed for the Corpus Christi Chapter of Football Officials, an organization that “provides football officials for High School and Junior High programs.”

• Mike Peek, head linesman: Peek also served as a replacement official during the brief 2001 NFL referee lockout, according to the website FootballZebras.com.

• Richard Simmons, field judge: Chiefs website BobGretz.com reported that Simmons is a Texas high school official, a background that seems to be shared by many on Monday’s crew.

"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"

If you haven’t heard about the Monday Night Meltdown in the NFL yet, you probably need to get out more. To sumarize: A last-second play was called a touchdown by one referee, and an interception by another referee, causing a half-billion dollars in betting funds to switch hands and an outcry to have the league’s regular officiating crew come back from its well-documented lockout.

But like every big story that has ever happened in the world of sports, the initial cause of disturbance was just the tip of the iceberg. It has come to light that some of the NFL’s replacement referees used to work in the Lingerie Football League, but were let go from the underwear-laden league because of their poor performance. Mitch Mortaza, president and founder of the Lingerie Football League, sent an email to several outlets at 12:49 this morning.

Mortaza’s statement was also posted to the LFL’s official Facebook page:

“Because of the LFL’s perception it is that much more critical for us to hire officiating crews that are competent, not only for the credibility of our game but to keep our athletes safer. Due to several on-field incompetent officiating we chose to part ways with with a couple crews which apparently are now officiating in the NFL. We have a lot of respect for our officials but we felt the officiating was not in line with our expectations.

We have not made public comment to date because we felt it was not our place to do so. However in light of tonight’s event, we felt it was only fair that NFL fans knew the truth as to who are officiating these games”

The statement does not make it clear whether anyone officiating the Packers/Seahawks game Monday night were ever referees for the LFL. Whether the LFL’s statement is accurate or simply a plug for the LFL and a stab at the NFL’s current referee situation, a point has been made.

Though the Lingerie Bowl was first shown on Pay Per View in 2004, the LFL was created in 2009 as a 7-on-7 all-women football league in which the players dress in — you guessed it — lingerie, shoulder and knee pads and helmets. The full-contact sport is televised on international television and on MTV2 in the United States. The league comes to an apex on Super Bowl Sunday, with the Lingerie Bowl being shown on TV a few hours before the NFL’s Super Bowl. It’s often classed as “the other Super Bowl,” along with the Animal Planet’s ever-so-cute Puppy Bowl.

So when the LFL is placed into the same category as the Puppy Bowl, it’s easy to see how football fans would be upset to know that some of their beloved NFL games are being officiated by crews who were let go from the sexier of the two former groups.

Now let’s just hope there aren’t any former Puppy Bowl refs calling games in the NFL either.

If you think high school refs is bad, try refs that were FIRED from the Lingerie Football League. Farce doesn't even begin to describe it.

When the regular referees get back, they get a standing ovation from the fans. When they throw the first flag against the visitors, they'll be loudly cheered. When they throw the first flag against the home team, they'll be roundly booed.

It'll be a short honeymoon, but everyone will be glad to see them back (even the replacement refs, at this point).

You're right on both counts, macbob. I just hope it happens before any other teams get screwed like we did. I wouldn't even wish that on the Vikings, and I've wished some awful things on the Vikings...

When the regular referees get back, they get a standing ovation from the fans. When they throw the first flag against the visitors, they'll be loudly cheered. When they throw the first flag against the home team, they'll be roundly booed.

It'll be a short honeymoon, but everyone will be glad to see them back (even the replacement refs, at this point).

You're right on both counts, macbob. I just hope it happens before any other teams get screwed like we did. I wouldn't even wish that on the Vikings, and I've wished some awful things on the Vikings...

I don't wish it on the Vikings but there are a handful of Bears fans that have been a real pain today. For most people who have been decent over the past I don't have any ill will. But those jerks ...

I kinda wish they hadn't published the names of the officials. Easley could easily get tons of harrasment from disgruntled bettors or fanatical fans. NFL leadership should be the ones feeling the squeeze from these bad calls.

Not saying I side with the NFLRA--I think they're being greedy after getting paid very nice $$ for working 3-4 hrs/week for 1/3 of the year.

But I blame the NFL for a completely inadequate job of replacing the refs.

I kinda wish they hadn't published the names of the officials. Easley could easily get tons of harrasment from disgruntled bettors or fanatical fans. NFL leadership should be the ones feeling the squeeze from these bad calls.

Not saying I side with the NFLRA--I think they're being greedy after getting paid very nice $$ for working 3-4 hrs/week for 1/3 of the year.

But I blame the NFL for a completely inadequate job of replacing the refs.

back in 85 some stupid radio station gave out the home phone number for Don Denkinger. He's the ump who blew the call at first base and caused St Louis the World Series.he was inundated with phone calls all hours of the day and night. His wife was on the receiving end of a lot of abusive threatening calls. While I was crushed by the call I don't think anyone deserved that kind of treatment.

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